


ULTR4

by i_was_human



Category: Lost in Translation (Webcomic)
Genre: Adorable Maknaes, Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Angst, Competition, Gen, ISC (Lost in Translation - Webcomic), M/M, Multi, Nobody Wins, Sibling Rivalry, dongho may not adopt hyunjin but it's pretty close, my brain went "hey what if sa1nt was at hce and mayhem was at xr" and this happened, no beta we die like the lee bros' hopes and dreams, sa1nt cannot catch a break
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:21:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27862978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_was_human/pseuds/i_was_human
Summary: "Siblings Lee Minsoo and Lee Minsung set to reunite at ISAC," Dongho reads, and Minsoo shrieks, rearing back and nearly headbutting the eldest in the chin."Hyung! You can't stand right behind me like that!""Sorry," Dongho flatly replies, not sounding sorry in the slightest. "What's this about?""My older brother," Minsoo spits, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "He tried to take my dream once, failed, and kept trying out of spite.""...well.""I'm going to wreck his shit," Minsoo grins, and Dongho slowly edges away.
Relationships: Ahn Jaewon | Wyld & Kang Dongho | D.Min & Kim Daehyun & Lee Minsoo, Ahn Jaewon | Wyld & Kim Taeseok, Im Youngjoon | Young J & Jung Hyunjin | Ven & Kim Taeseok & Lee Minsung & Moon Kyunghun, Im Youngjoon | Young J & Kim Daehyun, Im Youngjoon | Young J/Lee Minsung/Moon Kyunghun, Jung Hyunjin | Ven & Kang Dongho | D.Min, Jung Hyunjin | Ven/Kim Taeseok, Kang Dongho | D.Min & Moon Kyunghun, Lee Minsoo & Lee Minsung
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	ULTR4

There are very few things Minsoo hates _more_ than their ridiculously full schedules.

Now, that's a given when you sign up to debut with XR - your schedules become _so_ full there's no time for rest - but as he stares at his three bandmates, all of them either asleep or well on their way there, he can't help but wish they got a bit more rest. 

Jaewon - or Jay, as far as their fans are concerned - is sprawled across the couch, head resting on the armrest and a throw pillow hugged to his chest. Daehyun - or Sol to the world at large - is flopped on the hardwood, occasional groans of pain slipping through his lips, and Dongho - Angel - rests on the chair in the corner of the room, eyes drooping even as he scrolls through his phone.

 _God_ , is Minsoo glad they're going to let up.

As if the universe exists _specifically_ to taunt him, the doorbell rings, and Daehyun wails, rolling over to mash his face into the carpet.

"Go on without me," he mumbles, voice muffled by the faux-fur. "I'm fine lying here forever. Maybe then I'll escape more promotions."

Jaewon blinks blearily at them before rolling over to ruffle Daehyun's hair, and Dongho doesn't bat an eye even as the doorbell rings a few more times, each successive ring increasing in intensity.

 _Ugh_ , Minsoo doesn't wanna move.

But he's the leader, so he has to _lead_ , despite how much he _really_ doesn't wanna do that.

"Comin'," he mumbles, prying himself out of the dining chair and stumbling to the door. He checks the camera first - it's their manager, not a sasaeng, which is nice - and pulls it open, fixing a smile on his face as their manager enters.

"Good afternoon! How's your day been?"

"You're going to ISAC," their manager states, apropos of nothing, and Minsoo feels his mood plummet. 

" _No_!" Daehyun wails, flopping pathetically on the rug. "I'm going to _die_ , hyung. I _can't_."

"Tough shit," Dongho mutters, pulling out a stick of gum. "We're going."

"Actually," their manager states, placing a piece of paper on the table, "I think Nix is going to enjoy himself this time."

Minsoo bites back the scathing retort that always threatens to spill over at the mention of his dumbass stage name and instead opts to look at the paper, where a bolded headline blares at him.

"...is this...?"

"Siblings Lee Minsoo and Lee Minsung set to reunite at ISAC," Dongho reads, and Minsoo shrieks, rearing back and nearly headbutting the eldest in the chin.

"Hyung! You can't stand right behind me like that!"

"Sorry," Dongho flatly replies, not sounding sorry in the slightest. "What's this about?"

"My older brother," Minsoo spits, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "He tried to take my dream once, failed, and kept trying out of _spite_."

"...well."

"I'm going to _wreck his shit_ ," Minsoo grins, and Dongho slowly edges away. 

"ULTR4 versus NOCTUS, huh?" Daehyun muses, lips curling into a bright grin. "Hey! Maybe I can make a new friend!"

"There's no time for friends!" Minsoo shouts, slamming his fist into the table. "Today we prepare for war!"

* * *

In NOCTUS's dorm, the mood is markedly different.

Taeseok sits on the couch, his hoodie pulled over his knees and arms wrapped around his calves. Next to him, Hyunjin rests his head on his boyfriend's shoulder, his gaze fixed on his phone and locks of blond and black falling into his eyes. Behind them, Kyunghun's cooking dinner in the kitchen, his dark hair pushed back in a ponytail and soft jazz filling the air, and none of them are talking about the empty space.

Nobody wants to talk about where Youngjoon is.

All of them know none of what the media says is true. All of them know Youngjoon isn't- doesn't do what they say.

It doesn't make the prolonged absences any easier. 

Both Minsung and Youngjoon have their own difficulties, in the end. Minsung's family doesn't support him - they think he's trying to steal his little brother's dream, which he _isn't_ \- and Youngjoon's... 

well.

They don't like to talk about it.

The door swings open, and Kyunghun raises his head, eyes flickering with some unidentifiable emotion before smoothing into cool nonchalance. "You're back."

Minsung nods, reaching up to rake a hand through his silver hair. "We're back."

Youngjoon follows him, and he could almost be called intimidating, Kyunghun thinks, if not for the way his lips curl into a gentle smile at the sight of his second boyfriend and two little brothers.

That's what they are, in the end - _family_. There's MinKyungYoung - a name coined by Taeseok during a particularly rainy day - and HyunTae - coined by the fans - but in the end, the five of them are NOCTUS together.

...even if they're all hurting. 

"Missed you," Minsung murmurs, and Kyunghun nods, leaning over to kiss him. Youngjoon follows, giving him a quick kiss on the head before disappearing into their room, and Minsung watches him go, something unidentifiable flickering in his eyes.

"You're stressed," Kyunghun notes, stirring the pot idly as he does. "What's wrong?"

"...we're going against my little brother at ISAC."

"We're going to ISAC?" Hyunjin exclaims, and Taeseok whoops, throwing his hands in the air as a bright laugh bubbles over his lips. "That's so cool!"

"We've made it big," Kyunghun quips, and Hyunjin and Taeseok cheer, flopping onto the couch in a mess of limbs and fabric. 

Ah, young love.

"If you wanna go see Joonie," Minsung murmurs, wrapping his arms around Kyunghun's waist, "I think he wants to see you, too."

"...mmm. Can you stir the pot for a second?"

"Yeah," Minsung whispers, and Kyunghun nods, passing his boyfriend the spoon and heading for their room.

Youngjoon's curled up under their blankets, maroon hair strewn over the pillow and knees hugged to his chest. He looks so small like this - his head barely visible under the mass of blankets - and Kyunghun sighs, taking a seat by his boyfriend's side.

"Hey, Joonie."

"...mmm..."

Kyunghun exhales, lying down on the bed and wrapping his arms around Youngjoon's back. They lie there for a moment - Kyunghun's nose pressed into Youngjoon's neck and the faint smell of peaches he always seems to carry filling the air - and Kyunghun reaches around to rub gentle circles into Youngjoon's hip, hoping against hope that it can do something.

"...I'm sorry," Youngjoon whispers, and Kyunghun shakes his head, reaching up to run his fingers through his boyfriend's hair.

"You did nothing wrong."

"Everyone's getting so much hate... and it's because of me, isn't it...?"

"It's not, honey."

"It is," Youngjoon mumbles, curling in on himself even tighter. "If it wasn't for me, nobody would be calling Seokkie fat or Jinnie untalented or Sungie a cheater or-"

"It's not your fault," Kyunghun breathes, pressing a gentle kiss to Youngjoon's neck. "None of us blame you, honey. None of us."

Youngjoon exhales - long and shuddering - and Kyunghun trails kisses up to his boyfriend's jaw, finally leaning over to place one on his lips. "I love you, Joonie."

"...Kyunghun..."

The bed dips, and Kyunghun relaxes as familiar arms wrap around his waist, Minsung's nose pressing into his hair and a gentle sigh brushing against his neck. "We both love you, sweetheart," Minsung murmurs, the vibrations of his voice a gentle rhythm against Kyunghun's back, "and neither of us blame you. Jinnie and Seokkie don't either."

"..."

"We're not going anywhere," Kyunghun murmurs, pressing a gentle kiss to Youngjoon's neck. "I promise you, Joonie. We'll stay by your side for as long as it takes."

And _oh_ , Youngjoon's crying, and Kyunghun _knows_ that means they've gotten through to him, _knows_ that means he understands, at least for now, that everything's going to be okay, and that-

he couldn't ask for anything more.

* * *

Honestly, Youngjoon should have known he was fucked.

At some point, he managed to get water all over his nametag, and now it's smeary and runny and people are going to laugh at him on Twitter, and _he's supposed to be fucking avoiding this, how does this keep happening_?

Anyways. 

The staff are refusing to help him, and he's about to give up when a high voice rings through the air.

He freezes.

_Sol._

"Are you okay?"

Sol places a hand on his shoulder, and Youngjoon gapes at him, gaze flitting from the waves of gold framing his face to the pink jacket hanging off his shoulders.

What the _fuck_.

He's talking to _Korea's Golden Boy_. Korea's Golden Boy-

and their enemy.

"I'm fine," he murmurs, and Sol's eyes flicker with something before he pulls off his nametag, a bright grin on his face. 

"You need a new nametag, right? Hey, Sparks! Can one of you pass me a marker!"

At least ten markers fly through the air, one of them whacking Sol on the head, and he laughs, passing the nametag and marker to Youngjoon.

"Ah- I haven't seen you before! What's your name?"

"Oh- Youn-"

_"Would all participants in the race make their way to the starting line?"_

"That's me!" Sol laughs, lips curling into a blinding grin, and _wow_ , that's an idol's smile if Youngjoon's ever seen one. "I'll see you later, Red-ssi!"

"Red?" Youngjoon echoes, watching as the golden-haired boy sprints off towards the starting line.

Oh.

Wait.

 _He's in the race too_.

Fuck.

Of course the _one time_ he'd meet another idol that doesn't hate him he'd have to go against them in a race.

"Joon?"

He turns, gaze landing on Minsung, and _oh_ , his boyfriend seems worried. 

"I'm coming," Youngjoon murmurs, eyes falling half-shut as he tries to push Sol out of his mind. "You don't need to worry about me, Minsung-hyung."

From the look on Minsung's face, he isn't reassured in the slightest.

* * *

"You're stressed."

Minsoo nods, gaze pinned on the group at the starting line. "He's going up against Cory. Of course I'm scared."

Dongho frowns, gaze drifting to the maroon-haired man next to Daehyun. "...and I'm not doing the race _why_?"

"Because Dae-yah wanted to compete," Minsoo simply replies, and Dongho sighs, frown deepening as the clock ticks down. 

"I'm just saying - if you were worried about Cory, I could've done the race."

"He won't try anything," Minsoo mutters, and Dongho levels him with a judging glare.

"Are you trying to reassure me, or yourself?"

The buzzer blares, and everyone takes off like a shot. 

Cory immediately shoots into the lead, and Daehyun follows at a close second, endurance strengthened from years of grueling practice and hours spent running with Dongho. He pushes ahead until they're neck and neck, and as Dongho watches, Cory tells Daehyun something that makes him smile.

What is this, a K-Drama?

"Focus on the race!" Minsoo screams, and Jaewon fidgets next to him, gaze straying to their rival group across the stadium. Dongho follows his eyes, and _oh_ , Jaewon's staring at NOCTUS's maknaes - specifically, the tiny one with blond hair.

"Focus," Dongho murmurs, leaning over to nudge Jaewon's arm. "They're the enemy."

"Ah..." Jaewon trails off, and Dongho's heart melts a little at the pained expression on his face.

God, Jaewon's too kind for his own good.

"...don't let Minsoo-yah see you," he advises, and Jaewon gives him a tiny smile.

"Thanks, hyung."

The ending buzzer blares, and Minsoo jolts to his feet, eyes wide. "Wh- what the _fuck_ was that?"

Dongho turns, gaze landing on Cory and Daehyun, and _what the fuck_?

Daehyun has his arm slung over Cory's shoulders, a bright smile on his lips and sweat beading on his brow. Next to him, Cory's lips are curled in a soft smile, and across the stadium, NOCTUS are _losing their shit_.

"Did Cory just _shove him over the finish line_?" Minsoo shrieks, watching as Daehyun passes the other idol a water bottle. "What the _fuck_? _What the fuck?_ "

"...I should've done the race," Dongho mutters, and this time, Minsoo doesn't argue.

" _Would ULTR4 and NOCTUS's participants in the obstacle course report to the starting line?_ "

"That's me," Dongho mutters, pushing himself to his feet. "I'll be back."

"Don't make friends with the enemy," Minsoo laughs, and Dongho rolls his eyes.

"I'll try not to."

* * *

"Why?"

Youngjoon stares at his hands, pain flickering in his eyes, and Minsung exhales, passing his boyfriend another water bottle.

"I'm not mad, Joonie, I just..."

His gaze flits to Hyunjin, who's bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waits for the obstacle course to start. "I really wanna win."

Youngjoon's expression flickers for a moment, and Minsung sighs, digging his nails into the fabric of his pants. "I just wanna prove that this is _my dream too_ , y'know?"

"Nobody doubts that," Kyunghun murmurs, and Minsung shakes his head.

"I know, Hunnie, I just-"

He cuts himself off, gaze falling to his knees, and Kyunghun reaches over to interlace their fingers, lips curling into a faint smile.

"I know, Sungie. But Jinnie's gonna win this race, you'll see."

"Yeah..." Minsung trails off, pain flickering in his eyes. "I hope so..."

The buzzer blares, and all four of them turn to stare at Hyunjin's competition, hearts plummeting at the sight of ULTR4's lead dancer.

"Angel," Kyunghun mutters, watching as the blond man rakes a hand through his hair. "Jinnie's screwed."

"Don't give up on him!" Taeseok cheers, a bright smile on his lips as he bounces in his seat. "If anyone can beat Angel, it's Jinnie!"

Kyunghun opens his mouth to respond, then promptly shuts it.

"I believe in him," Minsung murmurs, sounding very much like he does _not_ , in fact, believe him, but he's desperate enough that Kyunghun doesn't comment. "He's got this."

"...I hope so," Kyunghun murmurs, watching as the clock ticks down.

* * *

"Hi!" 

Dongho blinks, turning to stare at the black-blond haired man next to him. He's small - about as tall as Jaewon - and offering Dongho a hand to shake, and _what_?

"Ven," Dongho cooly greets, and Ven deflates, hand falling to his side. "I won't be going easy on you."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Ven grins, and _oh_ , is that a spark of competition in his eye?

This is going to be fun.

They take their places, and the buzzer ticks down - _five, four, three, two, one_ \- and as soon as it hits zero, they're both off like shots.

They're neck and neck for the first three obstacles, completing each one in tandem, but as they finish the fourth, Dongho realizes that _Ven is pulling ahead_.

What the _fuck_?

It's not by much - two seconds at most - but it's enough for him to step up his game.

 _Ven is not going to win this_.

Still, the kid's _quick_. He hops over the hurdles with ease, sprints across the balance beam without missing a step, and swings across the mudpit like he was born to do it.

He's not even a _dancer_ , what the _fuck_?

Honestly, it's looking like Ven's going to win until they make it to the final obstacle.

There's a climbing wall you have to scale and drop down on the other side, and from there, it's a straight shot to the finish. Dongho's about halfway up his when a scream rings through the air, and when he turns, Ven's not on his wall.

No - instead, the kid's lying on the ground, one of the handholds on the ground next to him and face screwed up in pain.

 _"Don't make friends with the enemy!_ " Minsoo rails in his head, and Dongho exhales, pushing away from the wall and dropping to the ground.

Minsoo's gonna _kill him_.

Ven's clutching his ankle when Dongho approaches, tears streaming down his cheeks, and Dongho crouches by his side, reaching down to grasp Ven's hands.

"Hey. Don't grab it."

" _It hurts_ ," Ven gasps, English coming out slurred and accented, and Dongho sighs, dropping into a crouch.

" _Here. Get on my back_."

Ven stares at him, eyes wide, and Dongho rolls his eyes, already exasperated. " _Quick, before I change my mind_."

Ven's lips curl into a tiny smile, and he crawls forwards, wrapping his arms around Dongho's neck. " _Thank you, Angel_."

" _Don't think I'm doing this 'cause I like you,_ " Dongho mutters, heading over to the wall. " _I'm just not interested in winning by default_."

Ven laughs, and _holy shit Minsoo's going to murder him_. " _Still. Thanks anyways._ "

" _...yeah. Don't mention it._ "

He hauls them up and over the wall, dropping to the ground on the other side, and Ven huffs a laugh into his neck. "Thank you, Angel-sunbaenim."

Dongho crosses the finish line, and the announcers scream on the balcony as Ven climbs off his back, a smile still on his lips. "I'll see you around!"

"Yeah," Dongho hums, resisting the sudden and overwhelming urge to ruffle the kid's hair with every fiber of his being. "See you around, kid."

If he just ignores how _murderous_ Minsoo looks at the sidelines, it's even a sweet moment.

* * *

"Are you sure it's okay?"

Taeseok nods, adjusting the ice pack around Hyunjin's ankle before standing. "Of course it's okay, Jinnie. It's not your fault you got hurt."

Hyunjin pulls his lower lip between his teeth, pain flickering in his eyes, and Taeseok flicks his forehead, plush lips pursed in a pout. "Hey. Don't beat yourself up."

"I can't believe Angel-sunbaenim had to carry me over the finish line," Hyunjin mutters, wincing as Taeseok accidentally whacks his ankle. "That was so embarrassing..."

"You got carried by _Angel-sunbaenim_ though," Taeseok points out, and Hyunjin perks up at that.

"Yeah! Hey, did you know his hair smells like pine?"

"...why did you notice that?"

"Haha..."

" _Would the first participants report to the mat?_ "

Taeseok sighs, raking a hand through his hair as he stands. "I'll be back with the win, yeah? I promise you."

"You better," Hyunjin jokes, and Taeseok tries not to wince at the pain flickering in his eyes. "My replacement better be as good as I would've been!"

"Yeah," Taeseok sighs, padding over to the mat.

He's facing Jay, which is just... so great? He's doing great. This is fine.

The man across from him has a lock of cerulean hair coiled around his finger, and he chats with his leader - Minsoo, Taeseok recalls - for a moment before turning, expression visibly pained.

Hey! At least he's only a few centimeters taller than Taeseok! He has a shot!

They take their places, and Taeseok grits his teeth, digging his feet into the mats as much as he can.

He's going to win. For Minsung and Hyunjin - he _has_ to win.

" _Three... two... one... go_!"

The buzzer beeps-

and Jay swipes his legs out from under him, arms wrapping around his back as they fall to the mats.

God, that's fucking embarrassing.

"Are you okay?" Jay murmurs, and Taeseok bites his lower lip, turning his head away so he doesn't have to see the pity in the older man's eyes.

How _fucking_ pathetic.

"Yeah," he finally rasps, crawling out from under him and pushing himself to his feet. "I'm fine."

Thank _god_ Jay doesn't reply. Taeseok doesn't think he could stand to hear the pity in his voice.

* * *

Oh, boy.

If Kyunghun had a list of things he'd want to do, wrestling _Angel_ would be _right_ at the bottom of that list.

And yet.

It doesn't matter who his opponent is, does it?

After all, he's going to win. He _has_ to win.

For Minsung.

The mat squishes under his feet as he steps on, and when he raises his head to meet Angel's eyes, they're as cold as ice.

Good. Kyunghun would hate for him to underestimate him.

They take their places, and the clock ticks down as Kyunghun digs his feet into the mats, already preparing his plan of attack.

Hopefully Angel isn't that much stronger than him.

Hopefully Kyunghun can fight smarter.

As soon as the buzzer sounds, Angel tries to flat-out slam Kyunghun to the mats, and he seems pleasantly surprised when Kyunghun manages to hold his ground. They grapple for a few moments, neither one gaining or losing any ground, before Kyunghun makes his move. 

He puts all his effort into shoving Angel back, and when the man takes a step back, he hooks his leg around his knee and _pulls_.

One win.

They just need _one win_ to stay in the game.

One win and Minsung will face Minsoo.

And from the look on Angel's face, he knows it, too.

The taller man hits the mats with the faintest hint of a smirk, and Kyunghun rakes a hand through his hair, lips curled into the faintest of smiles.

Looks like Angel has an interest in seeing the two brothers duke it out, too.

* * *

Once Minsung and Minsoo step on the mats, everything else falls silent.

ULTR4, NOCTUS - all of it falls away. In this moment, it's just them.

This isn't necessarily for the best.

"Hyung," Minsoo crisply greets, and Minsung's brow twitches, fury burning in his eyes. "Are you proud that your group lost?"

"You only won by default or by accident," Minsung snaps, and Minsoo's smile takes on an air of _rage_.

"Oh?"

"Are you going to pretend otherwise?"

"Don't insult my groupmates."

"Like you insulted mine?"

" _Take your places!_ "

The two of them step closer, and Minsung's fury only grows as Minsoo leans over to whisper in his ear, voice silent and _cold_.

"How does it feel, knowing your attempts to sabotage me _didn't work_?"

"It's never been about that," Minsung growls, hands shaking with the force of his rage. "I never _meant_ to sabotage you, Minsoo, you pretentious _fuck_."

"Pretentious?" Minsoo hisses, pulling back to glare at him. " _I'm_ pretentious? _You're_ the perfect teacher's pet, Minsung, don't you _dare_ call _me_ pretentious."

In the distance, the buzzer blares, but neither of them are listening.

"Like you couldn't resist rubbing your audition in my face," Minsung growls, and Minsoo bares his teeth as he starts to try and shove Minsung to the mats. 

"Like you're sore you couldn't get in with _my dream_."

Minsung pushes back, fury burning in his core. "It was never _just your dream_ , Minsoo, you conceited _ass_ -"

" _I'm_ conceited?" Minsoo laughs, increasing the pressure. "What about _you_? _You're_ the one who rubbed your grades in my face, _you're_ the one who had to be all high-and-mighty and better than me at _everything_ -"

"I was trying to help you!"

"Stop _lying_ , Minsung!"

Minsung's arms shake as he tries to shove Minsoo to the ground, as do his younger brother's, and neither of them gain an inch of ground as the clock ticks on.

"You just want to be better," Minsoo growls, and Minsung shakes his head.

"I just want to _stop being your brother_."

Minsoo stills for a moment, and Minsung slams him to the mats, his younger brother's wrists pinned above his head.

Nobody makes a sound.

(Minsung never knew victory could feel this hollow.)

**Author's Note:**

> whoopsies poor minsung
> 
> i may write more for this au hehe
> 
> may not but you never know :3
> 
> pls leave a comment and lmk abt any typos!!!
> 
> [twit](https://twitter.com/i_was_human_) | [lit fic discord!](https://discord.gg/CNunB74)


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